Cement News tagged: International
Malaysia's cement association praises decision to reopen plants
Malaysia's Cement and Concrete Association (C&CA) has stated that opening cement factories under Phase 3 of the country’s Movement Control Order (MCO) will have a positive effect on the economy and save jobs. C&CA Chairman, Datuk Yeoh Soo Keng, said the cement industry provided over 100,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly. "C&CA lauds the government and the International Trade and Ind...
Spain's cement consumption falls 28% in March
Cement demand in Spain decreased 28.3 per cent YoY to 923,581t in March 2020, according to the country’s cement association, Oficemen. The level had not been seen since 1965, excluding the recessions of the last decade. However, exports saw an 11 per cent recovery after 33 months of decline with 54,588t of cement exported. January-March 2020 In the first quarter of 2020 cement consumptio...
PCA writes to President Trump
Michael (Mike) Ireland, president and CEO of the Portland Cement Association (PCA), has written to US President Donald Trump to express the need to restart public works programmes and designate the cement industry as an 'essential industry' that is also listed as a 'critical manufacturing' industry with the Department of Homeland Security. "Increasingly, the COVID-19 crisis and necessary go...
Indonesian market contracts 7% in March
Cement demand in Indonesia declined 6.8 per cent to 4.817Mt in March 2020 when compared with 5.166Mt in March 2019, according to the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI). The reduction in consumption was the largest in Kalimantan where sales were 15.6 per cent lower YoY, reaching 299,715t. On Java, the largest market in Indonesia, demand was down 10 per cent to 2,558,239t while in Nusa Tenggar...
Peru's Asocem reports 47% drop in domestic demand in March
Peru's cement market contracted by 46.8 per cent YoY to 0.488Mt in March 2020, according to the Peruvian cement association, Asocem. Of this total national dispatches accounted for 0.481Mt. In March 2019 domestic cement consumption reached 0.918Mt. Cement production in Peru in March 2020 fell 51.1 per cent to 0.419Mt when compared with March 2019 and 50.7 per cent when compared with February...
Pakistan cement productions increased in 8MFY19-20
Pakistan's Federal Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has released production data for the eight-month period of July 2019-February 2020 and February alone, with a note that overall output of large-scale manufacturing industries (LSMI) decreased by three per cent during the 8MFY19-20, when compared to the equivalent period of the previous year. However, cement production increased during this period o...
Bangladesh cement industry seeks stimuli to meet challenges of COVID-19
Bangladesh's cement industry is facing numerous challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic and sees no immediate respite as the government plans to further extend the lockdown period. The lockdown has reportedly disrupted production, dispatches and handling import of raw materials at port. The trading of seven cement companies' scripts in Bangladesh's two stock exchanges will also continue to...
Cement scripts financial results season at PSX
According to a report issued by Al Habib Capital Markets (Pvt) Ltd, Pakistan's leading cement companies, including Maple Leaf Cement, Lucky Cement, DG Khan Cement and Kohat Cement Co, are all set to announce their 3QFY20 financial results on 23 April 2020, while Cherat Cement Co is scheduled to declare its 3QFY20 financial result on 28 April 2020. Cement sector earnings are expected to fall...
Net FDI to Pakistan continues to contract in cement and construction in 9MFY20
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has released foreign direct investment (FDI) data for the nine months of the current financial year 2019-20 and March 2020. It shows that the country received a higher FDI of US$2.696bn against US$2.146bn in the corresponding July-March period of the last fiscal year of 2018-19. The March alone it attracted US$319.8m. However, in 9MFY20 net FDI amounted to US...
US cement shipments up 8% in December
Total shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, in the US and Puerto Rico in December 2019 increased eight per cent YoY to 6.7Mt, according to newly-released data from the US Geological Survey (USGS). The leading cement-consuming states were Texas, California, Florida, Georgia and Ohio, which received 45 per cent of the total. Leading producing states were Texas, Missouri, C...
Peru's cement producers see impact of COVID-19 crisis
The energy demand of Peruvian cement mills has reportedly fallen more than 90 per cent in recent weeks due to lower utilisation rates as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. "They have temporarily suspended their operations and that of their subsidiaries. Plants are running to a minimum, just a few furnace maintenance issues," said Flor Felices, analyst at Intéligo SAB. The impact of the c...
Indian manufacturers prepare to resume production
India’s ACC, India Cements, JK Lakshmi and JK Cement are looking to resume cement production in a phased manner from 20 April, while also abiding by all standard operating procedure guidelines related to social distancing. In new guidelines issued on 15 April, the Indian government has allowed industrial units located in rural areas to operate from 20 April. "We would like to inform that...
US cement consumption to drop 30.9 per cent in second quarter
The US cement consumption will drop 30.9 per cent in second quarter, according the Ed Sullivan, Chief Economist, Portland Cement Association (USA). Sullivan was speaking during the Cemtech Live Webinar on 15 April 2020, which was attended by over 400 participants from the global cement industry. Sullivan was due to speak at the IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on 20 April...
China’s cement industry expected to lead economic recovery
An accelerated recovery in the Chinese construction industry is driving the country’s cement sector to resume operations. With a positive outlook this year, analysts said the sector could lead the rebound across multiple industries, reports the Global Times. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, cement output in China fell by 23.9 per cent YoY to 299.07Mt in the first quarter of 2020, ac...
Turkish cement sector prepares for COVID-19 impact after strong start to 2020
The Turkish cement sector made a hopeful start in 2020 following a challenging 2019 when it contracted by around 30 per cent. The domestic market showed signs of recovery in January and in March a significant increase in exports was noted. “The production of the Turkish cement industry increased by 31 per cent to 3.6Mt in January 2020 when compared with the same period of the previous year. ...
Sri Lanka looks to lift curfew and open factories
Sri Lanka's Government is considering the easing of the month-long curfew on the island from this week. Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Pavithra Waniarchchi, announced that all clusters of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka had been successfully detected and that the government was keen to gradually restart industry to protect the national economy. Senior Economist and Senior Lecturer at the U...